Monday, September 29, 2014

Troy gets federal funds to hire three police officers

TROY >> U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Paul Tonko announced that Troy will be receiving $299, 392 in federal funding to hire three new police officers.

This funding comes from the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, which helps cities around the country put more cops on the beat. Schumer and Gillibrand said that, given how tight city budgets are, these funds are critical in enabling Troy to bolster its police force and keep communities safe.

“At a time of tight budgets, hiring and retaining police officers is exactly the type of investment that the federal government should be making,” said Schumer, author of the 1994 Crime Bill that created the COPS program, said. “This effort will increase safety in Troy and ensure that the local police have the resources they need to work effectively and prevent crime.”

“The federal government has a responsibility to ensure that local police departments have the resources needed to keep families safe,” said Gillibrand. “This is a great investment for Troy’s Police Department and for the community because more cops on the beat translates into safer streets and less crime.”

“Every penny counts for local municipalities and I am glad to see the efforts to keep the city of Troy secure are being bolstered by this funding. I thank Lou Rosamilia for his commitment to public safety and Capital Region law enforcement for their selfless work each and every day,” said Tonko.

Troy will use the $300,000 in federal funds to create three new officer positions. Putting these cops on the street will increase public safety in the city and reduce the strain that a short-staffed department would have on the rest of the police force.

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) is a component of the US Department of Justice. The COPS Office awards grants to state and local law enforcement agencies to hire and train community policing professionals, acquire cutting-edge crime-fighting technologies, and develop and test innovative policing strategies. This program awards grants to state and local law enforcement agencies to hire and train police officers, acquire and deploy new, crime-fighting technologies. The program provides training and technical assistance for all levels of law enforcement. The COPS funding is distributed through a wide range of programs, including grants and cooperative agreements.